We had an amazing turnout this year! Thanks to the over 20 awesome Maker booths we were able to engage a record number of over 650 attendees. The energy of the day was wonderful and quite inspirational. From robots to board game design to mathematical art creations it was clear the creative DIY community is quite strong in Urbana Champaign. We can’t thank everyone enough who helped make this years event happen.

Remember you can still check out the full list of makers here in case there are any you need to connect with in the future.

And a special thanks to our wonderful sponsors who helped make this years event free for everyone to enjoy:

]]>http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/22/what-a-wonderful-faire/feed/0The Faire Opens Today!http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/21/the-faire-opens-tomorrow/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/21/the-faire-opens-tomorrow/#commentsSat, 21 Sep 2013 08:02:01 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=638Continue reading →]]>Join us Saturday the 21st for the 3rd Annual Urbana Champaign Mini Maker Faire! This is a one-day, family-friendly event that celebrates arts, crafts, engineering, music, science, and technology projects and the Do-It-Yourself spirit in our community. At the UC Mini Maker Faire, the focus is on the process of making — not just the finished product.

]]>http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/21/the-faire-opens-tomorrow/feed/0Meet the Makers: Weiskamp Screen Printinghttp://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/20/meet-the-makers-weiskamp-screen-printing/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/20/meet-the-makers-weiskamp-screen-printing/#commentsFri, 20 Sep 2013 18:47:54 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=623Continue reading →]]>We’re happy to welcome back Weiskamp Screen Printing. They will be setting up a table to help you make your own screen printed poster!

You can’t be afraid to get a little messy at this booth!

We would also like to give them a giant Thank You for printing and donating the awesome T-shirts you will be seeing on our volunteers this year.

Panic Buttons makes custom pinback buttons of any quantity for your business, organization, band, or just for fun! Check them out on Facebook.

Panic Buttons!

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http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/19/meet-the-makers-blackbird-panic-buttons/feed/0Meet the Makers: Oddmusic Instrument Laboratoryhttp://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/18/meet-the-makers-oddmusic-instrument-laboratory/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/18/meet-the-makers-oddmusic-instrument-laboratory/#commentsWed, 18 Sep 2013 20:47:51 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=612Continue reading →]]>Oddmusic, a working group of the UC-IMC, is a musical instrument library and laboratory. They recycle old and odd instruments and materials into ideas for new musical instruments. At this years UC Mini Maker Faire they will be displaying some projects in progress they are working on; come join the brainstorm!

You may also get to meet the co-creator of the Udderbot, Jacob Barton, whom you may know from this excellent America’s Got Talent audition:

]]>http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/18/meet-the-makers-oddmusic-instrument-laboratory/feed/0Meet the Makers: Kunstwurfelspielhttp://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/17/meet-the-makers-kunstwurfelspiel/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/17/meet-the-makers-kunstwurfelspiel/#commentsTue, 17 Sep 2013 19:51:14 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=597Continue reading →]]>Kunstwurfel… WHAT?!? Kunstwurfelspiel (some German words roughly translated to “art dice play”) is a creative fusion of artmaking, mathematics, and computer science. Stop by their booth at this year’s Mini Maker Faire to make art with traditional materials, but the marks you make and the colors you use will be partially directed by specialized rules and the rolling of dice.

Kunstwurfelspiel!

Have a seat at one of their computers to work side-by-side with R. Scott Wennerdahl, local artist and art educator, and staff to use computer code to make geometric and “generative” (influenced by variables and chance) artworks of your own design. Even if you think that you are “bad at math” or think “computer programming is hard,” you just might walk away (with your awesome artwork in hand) thinking very differently.

Kunstwurfelspieling at last year’s faire!

Lastly, visit the Kunstwurfelspiel booth to get more information and/or sign-up for a free 4-week online course on creating computer-based geometric and generative art that is being offered by Kunstwurfelspiel Academy. This is a special invitation to Urbana Maker Faire 2013 participants only.

]]>http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/17/meet-the-makers-kunstwurfelspiel/feed/0Meet the Makers: Common Ground Food Co-ophttp://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/16/meet-the-makers-common-ground-food-co-op/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/16/meet-the-makers-common-ground-food-co-op/#commentsTue, 17 Sep 2013 01:01:10 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=579Continue reading →]]>It’s easy to make your own body scrubs! Come join Common Ground Food Co-op at this years Mini Maker Faire and learn the steps to make a simple, organic body scrub using easy to find, natural ingredients.

Attendees will be able to see, smell and touch all of the ingredients that make up this scrub, smell different essential oils and blends, and try out the finished product. Common Ground will also be handing out small body scrub samples and coupons for materials you can use to make your own DIY bodycare products.

Have you seen the Common Grounds new classroom setup?!

Learn more about the Common Ground Food Co-op including the great classes they have to offer here:

]]>http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/16/meet-the-makers-common-ground-food-co-op/feed/0Meet the Maker and Sponsor: Illinois MakerLabhttp://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/16/meet-illinois-makerlab/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/16/meet-illinois-makerlab/#commentsMon, 16 Sep 2013 13:34:35 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=585Continue reading →]]>The Illinois MakerLab is the world’s first Business School 3D Printing Lab. We are very proud to have them as both a maker and a financial sponsor of the Mini Maker Faire this year.

At this year’s fair they will demonstrate some of the very cool projects created by their students using their 3D printers. Their exhibit will allow visitors to select a design from a list of models and create a 3d print right there at the faire. They also mentioned we may get to see a student project from their lab integrating 3d printing and electronics.

Now that’s a 3D printer lab

We’re very happy to see how the maker movement is spreading into schools and very thankful for the Illinois Makerlab’s support. It seems like a great addition to the school. As they would say:

Our objective is to provide University of Illinois faculty and students with the knowledge and resources to be at the forefront of the emerging maker movement. We do this by teaching users how to design, manufacture, and market physical objects. 3D printing (and the emerging Maker Movement) provides a means of democratizing innovation by empowering individuals with the know-how and tools to manufacture the objects they consume. Thus, this technology has important implications for many facets of business, including manufacturing, distribution, retailing, and consumer behavior.

http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/16/meet-illinois-makerlab/feed/0Meet the Makers: CMKT 4 – Circuit Bent Musichttp://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/15/meet-the-makers-cmkt-4-circuit-bent-music/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/15/meet-the-makers-cmkt-4-circuit-bent-music/#commentsMon, 16 Sep 2013 02:45:46 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=571Continue reading →]]>CMKT 4 is back! A staple of the UC Mini Maker faire from the very beginning this circuit bending rock band from DeKalb, IL has traveled the country teaching electronics workshops at over 50 hackerspaces. So come learn about the fascinating world of circuit bending and try some circuit bending out for yourself.

Time to get circuit bending

CMKT 4 will also have their awesome Creme DeMentia Contact Microphones for sale to help you kickstart your own circuit bending music career.

]]>http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/15/meet-the-makers-cmkt-4-circuit-bent-music/feed/0Meet the Makers: Origami by Xudonghttp://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/15/meet-the-makers-origami-by-xudong/
http://ucmakerfaire.com/2013/09/15/meet-the-makers-origami-by-xudong/#commentsSun, 15 Sep 2013 15:44:33 +0000http://ucmakerfaire.com/?p=563Continue reading →]]>Who needs a 3D printer when you have a piece of paper and your hands! And to prove that we’re thrilled Xudong Guan will be sharing his beautiful origami creations at the Mini Maker Faire this year. Come see how beautiful objects can be generated by nothing but simple folds in paper.

Pegasus

Xudong will also be doing a live demonstration of a gryphon that will take multiple hours so be sure to check in a few times during the fair to watch it come to life.